Quote:
Originally Posted by DuSh
I did it 3 days ago, but I was so busy with final week exams that I haven't posted about this experience. So I managed to drop the car at the Pro Muffler shop at Peoria. Left it for half a day and picked it up after classes. $260 for the job, but that includes their X-pipe (I think it's universal one they have in stock) and all the piping required to do the job.
How it's done: so as many of you know 50i has 2 downpipes coming from 2 turbos (one for each 4cyl block) that continue as 2 pipes into 2 resonators (one for each pipe) located roughly in the middle of the car and then pipes go all the way to the muffler. So they go into muffler as 2 separate pipes and this whole way they never cross with each other starting from turbos and ending into the muffler. Right after resonators pipes run very close to each other and that is exactly the place where x-pipe can be welded in (cut pipes and weld in x-pipe)
After that is done, you need to remove muffler (cut it off) and extend pipes (instead of missing muffler) all the way to the tips. So you will need 2 extension pipes of same 2.5 inch diameter (my shop used 3 inch pipes) and they have to be mandrel bent 90 degrees to connect all the way to the tips. And someone have to hold tips straight while pipes are welded to avoid crooked annoying appearance.
That's it basically, they did it in less than 2 hours, but most of time car was sitting in the parking lot waiting for it's turn (they had lots of cars that day).
Now the sound: it for the first time satisfied my inner urge for the deep V8 growl and burble on idle and low rpms. It sounds very deep and nice! It is a bit more louder than the big trucks with V8 you heard like all those domestic full size trucks with V8. However, if you give it a bit more gas it gets substantially noticeable around in traffic. Nothing to extreme - I really like it!
Now the thing is - when you push gas pedal 1/2 way or 3/4 way - that is when n63tu starts growling very angry - I scare trucks now with that sound. Ever noticed some Shelby or Corvette with deep sound making revs and terrorizing traffic and other smaller cars? I let them taste their own medicine - ripped WOT couple of times near them lol to let them taste true German V8 power  probably gave them a shell shock as they quickly stop revving, changed lines and fade away in utter surprise on their faces and prefer not to engage 
So it's loud at WOT, be warned. But if you drive anywhere up to 3/4 of throttle - it sounds very mellow and deep like a sporty V8 should sound. Turns heads often as I drive as people are not used to such deep sound coming from a German car
I will try to do some videos later, but I'm flying back to NY today for Christmas. Hopefully others will do this mod as this is so far most satisfying mod that I did |
I am still very satisfied!!